Embrace the Cross
The painting is part of a series of paintings commissioned to Murillo by the Order of the Capuchins for the church of his convent in Seville. Such works, carried out around the years 1668 and 1669, were to exalt the distinctive elements of Franciscan spirituality.
The theme of the work (Allegory on the renunciation of the material world of Francis de Assisi to follow Jesus.) Had already been embodied by other painters and among all the versions, the most famous was that of Francisco Ribalta made about ten years before for the Capuchins of Valencia. Therefore it is easy to think that it was the Valencian brothers, who also contributed to the founding of the convent of Seville, who suggested to Murillo the reproduction of that motif in his web.
Description and characteristics
The composition symbolizes the culminating moment of the life of St. Francis of Assisi, that is, when he decides to renounce all his material goods to embrace religious life.
Next to the cross, two angels hold an open book where you can read in Latin the passage of the Gospel of Luke (14,33) that says:
"So, then, any of you who does not give up all the things he possesses cannot be my disciple."
In this way, the globe on which St. Francis rests his foot, almost as if pushing him, symbolizes the earthly world he rejects and abandons to become a disciple of Jesus.
The composition is soft light and warm colors without stripes combining brown, blue and green with the paleness of the body of Christ.
This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.
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